Girls have all the moves

The tosses were high and the fight songs were loud this week at Newport Harbor High School’s sixth annual Junior Cheer Camp where 78 girls 5 to 13 had four days of practice and learned the cheers and dance routines from the Newport Harbor cheerleaders themselves.

“It’s all about having fun,” said Liz Meuser, the school’s cheerleading program advisor.

“This is a great summer activity for any young child who would enjoy being a cheerleader.”

“It also gives the coaches a chance to see the girls that might be coming up next year,” added Newport Harbor Junior Cheer Camp Chairwoman Adrienne Saylor.

The girls were instructed by the squad’s two coaches and its 35 freshman, junior varsity and varsity cheerleaders, many of whom went through the very same camp in the years before.

The camp is one of the group’s major fundraisers for the donation-funded cheer program, with each girl paying $150 to participate.

— Joseph Serna